Gas Tragedy Averted At Attucks School

October 15, 1985|By Nancy E. Roman, Staff Writer

HOLLYWOOD — About 450 Attucks Middle School students were kept out of school Monday after a custodian found that all the gas jets in the four science labs had been turned on, filling the school with highly explosive natural gas.

The students were bused to nearby South Broward High School for the rest of the day.

No one was hurt.

The chief custodian who usually entered the school with a lit cigar failed to do so Monday.

Fire officials said the collected gas had the potential for a massive explosion.

``We suspect it was vandalism,`` said Robin Gutmann, spokesman for the Hollywood Fire Department. ``But there are no signs of forced entry, so we have nothing to go on. The jets may have been open all weekend.``

The 24 gas jets - six in each lab - are turned off and on manually.

Hollywood fire officials later said they would issue the school a notice of violation after finding that the only emergency exit was chained and locked with two padlocks.

Fire officials also criticized school officials for waiting two hours to report the emergency to the Fire Department and for an apparent failure to use a locking device on the school`s gas system.

Principal Margarita Hall said that after learning about the gas being on she contacted the school district maintenance department, which in turn called People`s Gas System.

Hall said she was not sure who called the Fire Department.

``When I realized the extent of the gas leak, I made sure all the children were kept outside,`` Hall said. ``Not a single student entered the building.``

Hall said she did not know if the exit doors were locked and, if so, who had locked them.

``We don`t lock the doors, so I didn`t know what (fire officials) were talking about,`` she said.

Leroy Randall, head custodian at Attucks, said he unlocked the school shortly before 6 a.m., smelled something funny, casually checked around, found nothing then went about his business.

Randall, custodian at Attucks for the past 10 years, said he usually has a smoking cigar in his mouth when he unlocks the school.

``It sure was a good thing I didn`t this morning, because they tell me I`d have been blown to the heavens,`` Randall said. ``I just thank the good Lord that I`m alive.``

``It`s just a wonder that no one was hurt,`` Gutmann said.

Gutmann said the emergency was not reported to the Fire Department until 9:09 a.m., two hours after the gas jets were discovered open.

Also, locks on the main gas valves, which control the flow of gas from an outside tank to the indoor jets, were not engaged, leaving the valves accessible, said Fire Chief James Ward. He said the main gas valves are encased in 8-by-8-inch metal boxes on the wall inside. Both the main valve and the box, itself, are designed to be locked.

``It is really a very well designed system,`` he said. ``It is meant for the instructor to turn on the system with a key. But the valves and boxes were left open. If they weren`t, the situation could have been avoided entirely.``

Hall said maintenance workers already have been instructed to put padlocks on the gas mains to prevent such emergencies.

``We never had any problem like this before, so we never kept them locked,`` she said.

Gutmann said he wants the Fire Department to begin a program to educate school officials about handling an emergency.

``They did an excellent job of getting the kids (away) efficiently,`` Gutmann said. ``But they risked lives in other ways. They could have turned on a light and blown themselves away.``

Ward said he was particularly concerned about the locked emergency door.

He said the doors were designed so that they can`t be opened from the outside, but can be easily released from the inside by pressing a bar.

``Chaining and locking defeats the purpose of panic doors. I recognize that the control of the egress of students is a problem, but it can`t overshadow concerns for life safety.``

There are 167 other buildings in the Broward School System. It could not be determined Monday whether others may have locked emergency doors.

``The doors are supposed to be open at all times, said School Board spokeswoman Jackie Cerra. ``I don`t know whether it is a situation that is unique to Attucks.``

Fire Lt. Wayne Mailliard said the school will be issued a notice of violation for locking the emergency exit.

``If the situation would occur again, they would have to appear in court.`` he said.

Mailliard said the department is still exploring other courses of action.

``Right now, we are not positive as to what our (enforcement) limits are in public schools,`` he said.

Ward said he has requested a report on the investigation be sent to the Broward School Board, the State Department of Education, the State Fire Marshal`s Office and Attucks Middle School. The report is expected to be completed by Friday, Ward said.